BJP worker’s death: CBI summons Trinamool MLA, BJP says ‘more are involved’

Meanwhile, a war of words began between the TMC and the BJP over the fresh summons.

BJP leader Locket Chatterjee accused TMC of creating an “environment of post poll violence” in the state.

“Some of TMC’s big names are involved in post-poll violence related incidents. Many have been killed, beaten up or harrassed by them. It is natural that the CBI will summon these people,” said Locket Chatterjee.

However, State Minister and TMC leader Firhad Hakim allaged, “The Centre is using CBI for political vendetta. Paresh Pal is so senior… he is a respected person and they [BJP] want to claim that he is involved in a murder.”

The CBI has already filed a chargesheet against 20 accused persons in connection with the alleged murder of BJP worker Abhijit Sarkar in northeast Kolkata’s Kankurgachhi. The agency filed an FIR in the Kankurgachhi ‘murder’ on August 25 last year and took over the case, which had been initially registered on a complaint against seven to eight unidentified persons, at Kolkata’s Narkeldanga police station on May 2.

It was alleged that the accused attacked the BJP worker with sticks and also damaged household items at his residence. Sarkar was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries.

Local sources claimed that the accused are all TMC supporters.

The alleged incident took place on May 2, the day the Assembly poll results were declared. Sarkar was found dead at Kankurgachhi in the Narkeldanga police station area after being allegedly beaten up by a mob. His brother, Biswajit, claimed that local Trinamool leaders had threatened him and his sibling with dire consequences during the polls. The BJP worker’s family also demanded strict action against the local police for allegedly acting at the behest of local Trinamool leaders.

The victim’s brother had levelled serious allegations against officers at the local police station. However, none of them were named in the CBI chargesheet.

The high court, on August 19, ordered a court-monitored CBI probe into alleged post-poll violence incident.